Aluminum creel



Jan. 15, 1952 F, M, MCDONALD ALUMINUM CREEL Filed Feb. 5, 1947 y 23a f' Flefh n. Menonald WWW am Patented Jan. l5, 1952 UNITED STATI-:s PATENT OFFICEl` ALUMINUM CREEL c Fletcher M. McDonald, Portland, Oreg.

Application February 3, 1947, Serial No. 726,156 4 claims. (C1. 2go-19) My invention relates to a fishing basket made of light weight material, preferably aluminum wire of two sizes, heavy and light, in order to obtain an article combining light weight with great rigidity. Accordingly I use for the frame work uprightstruts and cross wires of a heavy aluminum wire about 0.092 inch in diameter while for the interwoven strands I use a light aluminum wire about 0.061 inch diameter.

The basket is of general kidney shape in order to cling snugly over the hip of the sportsman and is larger at the bottom than at the top with the sides tapering upwardly. A lid covers the entire top with the exception of a narrow opening in the middle, thru which sh that have been caught are dropped into the basket without lifting the lid.

Some of the advantages of this creel are, light weight, ease of cleaning like any household utensils, rustproof, and having porous walls, providing good ventilation.

These and other advantages and objects of my invention will be explained in the subjoined description with the aid of the attached drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the skeleton or frame work of the basket, constituting the warp;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the basket or creel with the lid open;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the creel;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear view of a corner thereof;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the form over which the basket is built;

Figure 6. is a fractional view showing the inter- Weaving of warp and weft;

Figure 7 shows the contours of the three types of warp wires.

Like numerals denote the same details in the different views.

This basket is constructed in its entirety preierably of aluminum wire in two sizes, namely for the warp or struts a diameter of about 0,092 inch is preferred to insure rigidity of the frame work; and a smaller sizealuminum wire of 0.061 inch in diameter for the weft II.

The rst step in manufacturing this wire basket is, to provide a rigid form I2 of wood, see Figure 5. The bottom surface I3 of the form has kidney contour with concave rear edge I8 and convex front edge I9, while the top surface I4 has half moon shape with a straight rear edge I5 and an outwardly arched front edge I6 melding into the rear edge I5 with rounded ends I'l. The top surface I5 is of smaller area than the bottom surface I3. The body of the form accordingly tapers from the bottom I3 to the top I5 with an outward curvature in front and on the ends, while the rear face of the form has an inward bulge towards each end. This form is built of solid Wood and cut into three or four sections to facilitate removal, after the basket has been built around it.

The next step in manufacturing is now to place the form I2 upside down that is with the surface I 3 uppermost on a table and to build the skeleton or frame work 22V over it as seen in Figure 1. Pieces of the heavy aluminum wire are now cut to required length providing the warp 22 for the weave.Y All of these warp lengths are now placed with their middle portions 23 across the bottom. surface I3, slanting slightly horizontally to the rear and then bent down over each edge I8 and I9 to form the upright struts or ribs 24 which each terminate with a hook portion 26 adapted for engagement with the top edge of the basket. As best seen in Figure-1, the warp members A have the shape of letter U, wherein the middle portion 23 forms the bottom brace, the upright portions 24 form the struts or ribs, one with a convex, the other with a concave bend; the warp member B has both its ribs or struts 24a with convex bends, but the brace 23a is V-shape. Warp member C, which is L-shape has a single upright portion or rib 24h and a short brace 23h terminating with a hook or eye 23e.

One of these warp members C is placed at each end of the form, whilertwo warp members B are placed next thereto from the ends `and between them, the spaceis filled with ten, more or less, of the A warp members. the very middle, between the innermost pairs of warp members A is placed one warp member C, with the short brace 23h on the bottom I3 radially .from the rear edge I8 of the form, and the rib 24h along the rear side of the form.

.The next step is now to build the bottom of the basket over the form I2 while still standing upside down, with the warp clamped down thereon. Then six or more strands 21 arecut from the lighter aluminum wire to constitute the central vbottom weft, woven in and out between However, in

the brace portions 23 of the warp members A and the ends 28 of the strands 21 are clinched over the V braces 23a at each end. This now forms the central portion of the basket bottom, see Figure 3. Around the central portion the rest of the kidney shaped bottom is now woven by the continuous weft H of light aluminum wires until the entire bottom surface is covered.

Thereupon the basket sides are constructed by continuing the weaving in and out of the light weft wire Il between the uprights 24, 24a, 24h.

When the full height of the basket has been reachedin lthis manner, 'the uppermost strand 3l is looped around each end of the ribs or struts 24 and the hooks 25 are then clinched over the loops along the convex top front edge at 3l of the basket.

The straight rear edge of the basket is formed in the same manner, but the struts .or ribs 24 in that case extend beyond the top edge of the rear Wall in order to engage the straight bottom rod 33 of the lid. Around the lid rod, which is straight and preferably also made of heavy aluminum wire, `are .clinched all the hooked .ends .26 of the ribs 24, thereby providing hinges for the lid.

In Figure 4 is .shown Aa corner of the rear wal-l Vof .the basket, where a square aperture or small window .32 is indicated. This is Iformed by cutting a :few of vthe weft strands Il and clinching their -ends around two adjacent .ribs 24. .There is one .such window at each corner of the basket and Aby passing a leather strap with a clasp across the .rear wall thru said windows, .the basket may be carried with ease `over the shoulder.

The lid is similarly constructed, as seen in Figures l vand 2. It vconsists of a half-moon shaped frame of the same Vheavy aluminum wire, with a straight rear rod 33 and continuous therewith an arcuate -front rod -35 of the same contour as the top :front edge 3l of the creel or'basket proper. As alreadystated the .straight rod 33 together with the Vhooked -ends V26 of the ribs 24 and y2421 which are clinched over said rod, consti-tute :the hinge yconnection between the lid and the basket. The lspace between each pair of adjacent hinges -is filled by spacer rings 36 placed around the rear rod 33.

1n `thefcase 'of *the lid, the warp consists of short pieces of struts 31 of different lengths also made rof vheavy aluminum wire. These struts 31 'are spaced almost parallel -to 4the straight rear rod 33 Yand rthe arcuate front rod 35,y to both of which the hooked strut ends 38 are clinched-see Figures 1 1and 4.

Parallel to the straight rod 33 the weft 42 of lighter aluminum Wire is next woven in and outbetween'the warpfstruts -31 lengthwise from end to end ofthe lid. indicated 'in the drawing `a large window 4U .is formed gin the middle of the lid `4`| 'by cutting thetwo middle struts 31, short 'and clinchlngtheir inner hooked kends at 43 around one or two vfotfthe parallel weft members 42.

These weft members 42 above and below 'said Window "are continuous *and are taken once or twice around the arcuate front rod'35"of the lid frame. But 'at the top, they are twisted vseveraltimes around the same between the hook ends .44 of the struts 'so 'as .to llzthe'spacebetween 'eachtwo 'adjacent struts.

SA short leather Ystrap '45 'is attached Ybetween the 'two I'middle rstrutsi31 "onithe arcuaterrame rod 35. A buckle 46 for said strap is provided a short distance down the front side of the basket.

The construction of the bottom of the basket is shown diagrammatically in Figure 3. For clearnessA sake the strands 21 have been omitted in Figure 1.

It is to be understood that the invention as herein disclosed may be varied from the details described and shown without departure from the spirit of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A fishing creel comprising a basket structure open at the top and made of woven light metal w'ire throughout, having a concave rear wall, a convex front wall, a flat bottom and a similarly woven hat lid adapted to cover said open top, the woven form of the walls and bottom yprovid-ing warp and weft wires, the warp wires comprising a plurality of U-shaped frames each forming a bottom brace and upright front and l rear ribs, .said `ribs terminating in hooked ends engaged around the uppermost weft wire at said top opening, the weft wires running in and out in horizontallayers around the basket between said ribs.

:2. n'afishingcreel, a'frame structure comprising a plurality of substantially U-shaped units formed of wire, said units being in side by side relation and each having spaced front and rear members and a connecting :bottom member, said frame further including similar end units of substantially U-'form in which the connecting bottom member is V-shaped and positioned in a common plane with the bottom 'members or" the first mentioned units, said l.spaced members of the U- shaped units each terminating in a `turned back hook temi, a plurality of wire strands extending transverse-ly of and woven between the spaced members of the U-shaped units to form a fabric wall structure in which the side and bottom members of the U-shaped units form the warp and the rsaid wire Astrands form the weft, the topmost strand .being secured incertain oi said turned back .hook ends, and a cover of woven wire strands hingedly connected to others 'of the Aturned back ends at one side of the creel.

3. A shing creel construction of the character stated in claim 2, with additional weft strands woven between the bottom members of the IL`J:.'sha-ped units :and secured at their ends Yto the said V-'shaped bottom members voi' the said end units.

' -4. A nshing Jcreel comprising a frame structure made up of a plurality of vertical front, back andsid'e strands and bottom strands connecting the :lower lends vof pairs of vertical strands, said vertical and bottom strands constituting warp strands 'ora woven fabric, horizontal close laid weft strands of such fabric, means forming 'a locking coup-ling between the topmostweft strand and the top ends of the said v'front and Yside vertical strands'a cover comprising a frame portion and a woven liller therein, said cover frame portion having a straight back bar part, and means forming a hinge connection between the said back bar part .of lthe cover frame and the top ends of the said back strands, said `locking coupling being deilned lby a looped portion of the said weft top strand encircling the said front and side verticalstrands and a downturned hook portion forming a part of the top ends of the said front andv side strands and 'enclosing the said weft top trmd- FLETCHER M. MCDONALD.

(References on following page) le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Taylor Feb. 15, 1397 Riggs Aug. 2, 1898 Bates Dec. 18, 1900 Wright Feb. 4, 1902 Powell Apr. 29, 1919 Lane Apr. 8, 1924 Eckenbrecht Apr. 13, 1926 Barber Dec. 13, 1927 Number Number Name Date Fewkes Oct. 23, 1928 Kroczek Mar. 26, 1929 Pierce Sept. 27, 1932 Wolcott Mar. 19, 1935 Little Oct. 18, 1938 Martin Oct. 5, 1943 Goldstrom Nov. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1889 France Oct. 21, 1929 

